


Come and Knock on the Door

by Statementends (Blueberryshortcake)



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi, Pre-Relationship, sasha lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 19:33:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21343555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueberryshortcake/pseuds/Statementends
Summary: Michael saves Sasha and proceeds to watch the Archives and his two favorite inhabitants. And maybe there's a bit of humanity left. At least maybe enough for tea.
Relationships: Jonathan Sims/Sasha James/Michael
Comments: 14
Kudos: 181





	Come and Knock on the Door

**Author's Note:**

> Yaboyspodcastpalace wanted some jon/sasha/michael and I thought I'd try to oblige.

“I. SEE. YOU.” 

Sasha’s back slammed into the wall as the shadowy creature lurching towards her. It wasn’t Jane Prentiss, it was worse, oh god—

Beside her a door opened. She didn’t hesitate at all throwing herself through it before she could wonder where it had come from. She slammed it behind her, her entire body shaking.

It took her a moment to hear the quiet laughter.

-

“Where’s Sasha?”

“Jon, you need to rest,” Elias told him gently. “As your boss I’m telling you to go home.”

“Not until I know where she is. I saw Tim, and you said Martin found— where  _ is _ she?”

“I don’t know,” Elias sighed. His forehead furrowed with worry, although it looked akin to annoyance. “We were separated. Maybe… maybe she’s still hiding.” He ventured. He sounded doubtful though. 

“Elias, if you know—”

“Jon. You almost died—”

“We need to go over this.” He was still clinging to the tape recorder. He slammed it in front of him and turned it on.

“Statement of--uh—”

Elias continued to argue, but finally relented to it. He went over his story, and then Tim’s and then Martin’s, but none of them answered his question. 

His heart hammered in his chest. It hadn’t stopped since the worms flooded through the walls. 

He promised Elias he was on his way out, but he sat at his filthy desk, head in his hands. Had she somehow gone into the tunnels looking for them? Was she lost down there?

He heard the door creak open.

“I’m going. S-stop fussing over me.” He looked up, but his office door was still firmly shut. He stared at it, baffled until he saw the--the other door. That had never been there before. 

He froze, panic rising again.

The door opened fully and—

“Sasha!” He cried. Sasha stepped out looking dazed, but fine. Long fingers held the door behind her, but before he could get a better look they slammed the door shut. He blinked and it was gone.

He went to her, stopped short of hugging her in relief. Instead he gently took her by the shoulder. “Sasha, are you alright?”

Sasha nodded slowly, still processing.

“I--it was Michael again… it saved me I think. There was… that table a thing came out of it. I think it was going to kill me.” 

Jon’s grip tightened unintentionally. 

The table. The patterned table. Elias was right, it had been a trap and they had almost lost Sasha because of his curiosity. 

“Jon, you’re shaking.”

“I--you were… you were missing. It’s been hours.”

She took in the state of him. He was covered in bandages.

“What happened? Is everyone alright?”

“Somehow...somehow yes. Tim and I got the worst of it, but both of us are alright. Martin managed to find the body of Gertrude Robinson…”

“What?”

“I… do you mind if…” he gestured to his tape recorder. “Maybe you could tell me?”

Sasha wrinkled her nose. “Not here though.”

Jon nodded once again noticing the disgusting dead worms littering the place. “You’re right. Not… not here.”

“Let’s get coffee. I don’t think we’ll be getting any sleep anyway,” Sasha forced a smile. Jon forced one back.

“Can’t stand the stuff, but… I think that’s a good idea.”

-

Michael liked watching The Archivist and The Assistant. Liked the sound of their voices high and low. Liked their bravery and their fear. Liked that they fought the archives while being apart, being one with.

The new one wasn’t like the Old Archivist. He was much better. A better archive, a better human. Full of love he covered with terror and coolness and fear. And the Archivist, this one didn’t sacrifice his pawns so willingly. He held to them tightly. He held Sasha’s hand tightly. 

Michael looked down at distorted fingers. Imagined another hand that was once a part of it. One that could hold their hands without twisting or pain. 

He watched and felt the Eye’s glare. Michael was not supposed to watch anymore. A grin split what was probably a face. But Michael didn’t care for rules.

-

It was almost as if a monsterous cat had taken a liking to him. One that kept leaving presents. 

“Did you like Helen’s story, Archivist?” The melodious distorted voice sung. The figure towered and twisted over him. Jon found himself less and less afraid of Michael, which was probably a bad thing. Being complacent with a monster wasn’t a good idea, but the Distortion had yet to hurt him or anyone else in the Archives. In fact it saved Sasha and himself more than once. 

“I’m more interested in yours—”

A long finger was suddenly pushing over his mouth, stopping his words. He flinched back.

Michael grinned. “None of that now, Archivist. It isn’t polite.” The finger stung Jon’s lips and face as it traced down to his chin. Michael seemed to be thinking. 

“Say thank you,” Michael prompted. “Thank you for the meal.” Laughter. 

“T-Thank you, thank you for letting her go...” Jon said slowly. “Meal?” 

More giggling. “You’re so stupid, Archivist. So fun to watch. Say hello to Sasha for me?” 

-

It was just a feeling she had. Maybe it was how Elias seemed to be a little too relaxed. How he didn’t bring up Jon when he was giving them assignments. Jon seemed to be the only person he had an interest in and he casually would say he was still traveling. He was fine. Over and over. He’s fine.

Sasha didn’t believe him. But she knew he wasn’t about to share either. Melanie and Tim were no help. They were both focused on scheming against Elias, and Martin… he was just trying to keep everyone from throttling one another. 

Sasha took a deep breath and knocked on the yellow door. 

Michael hummed brightly, seemingly pleased that she was calling. 

“Hello Assistant,” A looong impossible smile that she identified as fond greeted her, so she smiled back. 

Michael was deceit and lies, but so far there had never been lies between them. She also knew Michael’s fondness extended to Jon. 

Maybe this was a bad idea, but the Distortion could be trusted more than Elias and Sasha couldn’t sit and do nothing anymore. 

“I was wondering if you knew where Jon was,” She asked casually. 

The Distortion twisted gleefully. That was definitely a yes.

“I like watching the Archivist.” A conspiratorial tone. “I was going there just now. Did you want to come with me?”

Sasha nodded, steeling herself. “I would. Were you waiting for me?”

“Maybe… I was thinking of killing him. I wouldn’t want the stranger to take him. I’d like to keep him. I think he would be happier with how I would do things.”

“Or…” Sasha said slowly. “We could save him.”

“Hmmm… but then… what do I get?”

She stopped herself from asking what Michael might want. That was a big can of worms. 

When she didn’t answer immediately, the Distortion brightened.

“A date.”

“What?” She blinked in surprise.

“A date,” Michael repeated. “With you and the Archivist. It’s not as good as eating him, but I suppose it would be just as interesting.”

“A date,” Sasha repeated slowly. Perhaps she shouldn’t be so surprised. Michael, twisted monster or not obviously enjoyed her and Jon’s company. 

“Alright,” She agreed. “Let’s go get Jon and then we can go on a date--I mean--as long as Jon’s up for it.”

Michael snickered. “He’s never up for fun things, but I’m sure he’s tired of the Stranger’s company.” Michael opened the door and bowed to her. She stepped through growing used to the way her stomach dropped when stepping through the threshold. 

-

Jon and Sasha listened to the tale of Michael Shelley. The interest in the Archives suddenly made sense. 

“I’m sorry she did that to you,” Sasha said quietly. She made to reach out, but the gestured startled Michael and it--he pulled away. 

“Sorry the great twisting was stopped?” he joked, but there was no smile on his pointed face. Just an echoing sort of sorrow. 

Jon shakily stood from the chair he had been tied to. A bunch of emotions crossed over his face.

“Do you really want to kill me?”

A half hearted laugh. “It would stop a lot of people’s plans if I did, Archivist, but no. We have to go on our date.”

“O-our what?” Jon stuttered looking to Sasha. Sasha snorted.

“It was… how I convinced him. He said he’d like a date with us. I thought considering the amount of travel time he’s saved us, it’s the least we could do?” She tried to lighten the mood as she stepped over to Jon, helping him stand. They pressed together, the eeriness of the wax museum unnerved Sasha. Made her shiver. Like something was walking on her grave.

“I-I-I-al--alright?” Jon was at a loss. Sasha smiled. Pressed her head against his for a moment.

“Are you alright, Jon?”

“No… no, not really. Let’s get out of here.”

“Coffee?” Michael proposed. 

“Jon doesn’t like coffee.” Sasha said. 

Michael snorted. “The Archivist has bad taste.” The yellow door opened. Sasha noted that Jon didn’t hesitate stepping through. 

“Oh!” And suddenly Michael was excited. “I can make tea. Haven’t done that in awhile.” A long round of giggles. “Do you like crumpets?” 

-

Being moisturized by mannequins meant Jon’s bar of normalcy and niceties was fairly low. Michael had taken them to a flat. It was--he was in the shape of a human, in the shape of Michael Shelley--no that wasn’t fair, he was Michael Shelley, no matter what Gertrude and the Spiral had done to twist him. 

“They redecorated. I don’t like it.” Michael said. He started digging through cupboards muttering about how ‘they’ve’ moved things around. Jon hoped whoever owned this flat wasn’t coming home anytime soon. 

Michael seemed to remember them. Grinned impossibly to them. “Please have a seat.” 

Jon and Sasha exchanged looks but sat down at the round breakfast table watching as the Distortion began making tea. 

Jon wished he could call it bizarre but… mannequins, moisturizer. This was practically relaxing. 

“I know how you like it,” Michael told him. “The tall assistant likes to make it right for you--you should be nicer to him…” A frown, perhaps an unwanted realization or comparison. Michael ducked back down to making tea.

“Ah… yes. I’ve been… I’ve been trying to,” Jon agreed. He still felt ashamed about how he had treated Martin. There hadn’t been a lot of time for apologies though… or maybe that was just an excuse. 

“We could all use friends right now,” Sasha chimed in. “We’re all we got after all, with whatever Elias is up to.”

“The Watcher grows his archives,” Michael interjected. Gave a long look at Jon, then looked at Sasha, then smiled at both of them. It wasn’t such an unnerving smile anymore. Jon fancied he could almost see a touch of nervousness to it. Michael carefully placed the cups in front of them and kept one. 

“I haven’t had tea in awhile,” A long inhale. “Smells nice.” 

Jon sniffed his as well. It did. And it was exactly how he liked it. 

All of this was so… out of the ordinary, and yet so domestic and he hadn’t noticed Sasha’s hand was on his. 

O-oh. 

It… it was a date. 

“The rotten core won’t be reachable to you,” Michael decided. “You can stay in your Archives and be with me. The Watcher isn’t very powerful if you know how to deal with him.” 

“Do you mean Elias?” Sasha asked.

“Do I?” Michael chuckled. 

Sasha had finished her tea and tentatively put her other hand on Michael’s. There was no pulling away this time. Michael seemed extremely pleased and put long pointed fingers on Jon’s. Jon flushed, but allowed it. 

This was… this was alright. 

Strangely.

But he felt safe between Sasha and Michael. 

“We can have more tea. Say thank you, Archivist,” Michael prompted.

“Thank you.” Jon couldn’t help but smile. 


End file.
